The Cycling of Ages
by Chi'zhii
Summary: The First Flame calls forth its last hope: a lone Knight of Astora with dirty blond hair.
1. Chapter I

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or the Souls series.**

 **Ya'at'eeh, fellow RWBY fans, Chi'zhii here with something I've been wanting to do for a looong time. After 3 years of just indulging myself on this site, I finally decided to contribute with my very first fic dedicated to my favorite show, but mixed together with my favorite game series as well, the Souls series. It'll take place in Dark Souls III, with your favorite blonde, Jaune Arc as the MC. By the way, there will be some changes to certain scenarios and characters from the game to RWBY elements (not elaborating as to what, you'll have to figure it out). That's enough talk for now, don't want to explain everything too much, that's the nature of Dark Souls. Let's see where this will take us…**

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 _The Age of Fire is at its end; the gods of Lordran are no more. Many have journeyed to Lothric, land of the First Flame, seeking its holy incandescence to either possess or destroy it. The First Flame senses this danger and calls forth the Unkindled, seekers and slayers of Lords to once again link the fire and momentarily relieve it of its inevitable fate. Below Lothric Castle on a separate peak rests the Cemetery of Ash, bearer of Unkindled. It is there that the ominous toll of the Great Bell of Awakening summons its next champion, Jaune Arc of Astora._

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It was not a pleasant feeling, coming back to life after centuries of decay and rigor mortis. Jaune still wasn't even sure if he was in a form of afterlife, for he could neither move nor see anything momentarily. In a panic, Jaune violently wrenched himself from the lying position he was fixated into, only to make contact with the cold lining of the inside of his casket. He motioned to let out a cry of anguish, but realized suddenly that he could not make a sound; his throat was burning for it was filled with ash.

With all the force he could muster, Jaune hurriedly shoved off the lid of the casket to cough up clouds of the poisonous dust. His blue eyes were bloodshot, still trying to lubricate themselves with tears. All of his biological systems were trying to figure out how to function again after years of post-mortem atrophy. He could finally touch, smell, taste, see, and hear again. After regaining his bearings, Jaune took in his surroundings. He was in a cemetery filled with countless tombstones and coffins haphazardly piled on top of each other. The overgrowth of trees, grass and moss signified obvious neglect in its maintenance. There was a walkway just ahead, leading to a flooded, tiled pathway.

Jaune looked at his own burial plot, a casket just above soil, under a rotted birch tree. Upon further inspection, his casket contained a few items: a sword with a black-gold engraved guard and diamond-shaped pommel, a large, dark blue kite-style shield with a finely detailed dragon etched in gold on the front, and a curious tree branch wrapped in parchment. Confused, Jaune picked it up and observed it more closely. It wasn't just parchment; it was a message. On it the words "Good friend. No hit" were scrawled with what seemed like charcoal. It didn't make any sense. Why was he buried with such a novelty? However, after pondering momentarily, he decided to turn a blind eye on it.

It was then that Jaune decided to take a look at his own appearance. He was a right and proper knight. _Was._ He had on a dark blue-gold tunic with chainmail underneath, steel shoulder guards with a rather large pauldron on his left, a leather glove on his left hand atypically paired with a full-steel one on his left, probably to protect his shield arm. A single elbow guard protected his left arm only. This bias in protection was probably to allow his sword arm much more flexability. Surprisingly, he had no helmet whatsoever. His lower half was protected by trousers covered with a chainmail skirt and leather padding, steel kneecaps, and full-plated boots. All around his armor were leather pouches and straps for other weapons or his shield. He pocketed the little branch in one pouch on his belt. Speaking of which… Jaune attached the matching scabbard of his magnificent sword to said belt on the left for easier access. He felt a particular coldness around his neck and pulled out a silver pendant depicting a crescent moon and a holy sword. How odd; he would have to figure out its meaning later as well. Jaune grabbed his shield with his left hand, and finally departed from his resting place.

Walking a short distance, Jaune found… something. It looked like a cloaked human. It was just sitting there, staring at the floating leaves that marred the cobalt wetland's beauty. Jaune considered approaching it, but settled for walking around it slowly. Halfway through sneaking past it, his boot betrayed him by giving out a painfully loud groan mid-step. He looked at the figure and saw its head jerk to face him. Its face was one of the most grotesque things that he had seen in his life. It was indeed an Undead, but this was _hideous._ The Undead's entire face was a sickly green, its eyes missing and teeth rotted to the core. He swore he could see a worm in his eye-socket. It jumped to its feet and stood there, staring at Jaune. At first Jaune thought it was harmless, but that was when he saw the iron sword in its hand.

The thing burst towards him, sword raised and poised to stab him in the chest. Instinct and muscle memory kicked in for Jaune, and he readied his sword, waiting for the right chance to strike. The hooded Undead sloppily thrust the sword forward, but Jaune met it with his own, knocking the handle out of the clumsy Undead's hand; he performed a parry. He was a knight, after all. This put his enemy in a daze, and he punished him with a solid stab to the stomach; it went through his spine with a satisfying crunch, blood spurting out both entry and exit point. The poor Undead collapsed, gurgling on his own blood. His blade was now wetted with his first kill as an Unkindled.

With that whole ordeal finished, Jaune went over to the dropped longsword and picked it up, realizing its low usage. He thought it over, and decided to place it in his scabbard for now. _It could come in handy later._ Luckily, it just fitted his scabbard. Come to think of it, Jaune never checked the rest of the pouches on his belt. There was a rather large one on the back of his right hip; he checked it, and felt something akin to glass. Curious, he pulled whatever he touched, and felt a certain warmth by just holding it. Bringing it to his eyes, it was a translucent jade flask that contained some… _glowing_ orange liquid. What even was it? He stared at it for a moment, feeling the inviting warmth that it emanated. It made him feel… _alive._ There were a few more, almost all with the same substance inside. There was one, however, that was a bright turquoise color. It was cold to the touch; how different. They were there for a reason, and he would soon find out why.

Jaune soldiered on, meeting a few hostile Undead along the way, easily dispatching them due to their petty swordsmanship. There was a split path: one way leading to a cliff with a beautiful view in front, or a heavily flooded section of the graveyard, twinkling and heavy breathing audible to the ear. Jaune assumed that heavy breathing spelled out danger, and decided to check there much later.

Coming out of what he could only describe as a gulch, Jaune looked across the horizon beyond the sheer cliff to see towering, snow-peaked mountains." Wow," Jaune attempted to utter. To his horror, he couldn't even recognize his hoarse voice. So much for marveling. Then, he looked straight up to his right. There was a castle that was absolutely _massive,_ as if carved directly from a mountain. The towers of it were capped with magnificent orange spires. Suddenly, he heard the ominous tolling of a gigantic bell to his left. _Enough gawking; keep moving._

Not far up a walkway to his left, Jaune spotted a familiar object near a mass of graves: a bonfire. Perhaps this was a resting point. He scanned the horizon, and it didn't take long to take notice of the ginormous structure with its monolithic bell tower right beside. _So that's where the bell rang._ He knew by the look of it that he needed to reach there. However, he had more immediate things to take care were a few Undead blocking his walk down to what seemed like an arena. He had to dispatch his enemies quickly.

"Hyaaaah!" Jaune roared his first attempt at a warcry, startling the hooded undead lumbering about near more tombstones. He reached one about to get up, an upwards slash cleanly splitting its face in a diagonal direction. Another undead swordsman came from behind, but the sharp hiss during its windup alerted Jaune of its presence. He placed his shield just in time to make the sword slide off as the Undead slashed overhead, scratching his shield. Jaune bashed it with said shield and sliced its chest before it could recover. There was one more, one with a wicked looking knife. It had a jagged edge, almost certainly used for laceration. Jaune did not want to get caught by that. This Undead was quicker than the others, but that did not mean it was stronger. It had the ability to dodge around Jaune's sides, but he simply could not get past his steadfast shield. After a successfully baiting the dagger-wielder to stab his right hip, Jaune parried him with the flat of his blade and followed with a clean slice through both femurs.

With those threats taken care of, Jaune made his way down a precarious walkway, just at the very edge of the sheer cliff. There was a spearman in front with a simple spear and buckler, and an archer. _This could go so wrong…_ He kicked the spearman down immediately and followed with a stab to the neck, blocking an arrow just in time that almost made contact with his forehead. In fact, it had a flaming oil rag at the tip, singeing his shield: fire arrows! Jaune recklessly charged the archer and tackled him with the shield. It sent the archer straight off the cliff, Jaune almost plunging himself. He shuddered at the thought. As he heard the terrified screams of the plummeting archer, Jaune noticed that it was guarding some items. They were a sort of bisque urn, warm and apparently very fragile. Jaune could hear a sizzle as though there was a fuse inside. _Could these be some type of bomb?_ He pocketed the curious things, though careful to do so out of fear that they might explode.

Making his way back up, the bell tolled yet again. Jaune had to make more progress. He walked down to reach an entryway with torch sconces on each side. After impaling a troublesome archer in front, Jaune felt a crunch in his back as a serrated blade entered his right kidney, right through the pouch that contained his mysterious flasks. He instantly turned cold and slumped into a puddle of his own blood. He felt the life in his body fading, slowly his eyes dilating.

The Undead that sneaked behind Jaune had successfully stabbed him in the back; he punctured one of the flasks containing the orange solution in it, emptying the liquid onto the ground near Jaune's head. A small stream trickled into the open-mouthed Jaune, reaching his lips. He subconsciously wondered what it tasted like. On instinct, he mustered what strength left to lap up the substance, instantly having a reaction. The bleeding from his wound subsided slightly, the pain that Jaune had felt from the laceration was lessened; he regained basic motor control. By his own curiosity, he was saved from death.

While the vile attacker had his back turned, Jaune quietly uncapped another flask and drank it quickly in one go. He felt a comforting warmth completely enveloping him, the pain completely subsided and wounds mending entirely; Jaune felt reborn. It tasted slightly bitter, but this sense of euphoria drowned it out of his mind. The effect came with a searing noise, to which the Undead noticed. He desperately tried to ready his dagger, but Jaune was too quick with the stab to the gut. "Nice try" he curtly taunted as he unsheathed the secondary sword and lopped off the poor soul's head.

With that over, Jaune quickly took inventory and realized that he had two remaining orange flasks and one turquoise one. He still wasn't sure what that one was for. Jaune decided to take the defeated foe's knife, both as a trophy and tool, strapping it to the side of his boot. Luckily, his "main pouch" wasn't completely torn apart, just a minor incision. Finally, Jaune entered to the next area.

"Woah" was all he could muster, since the sight before him defied all logic. In the middle of a small pond knelt a humanoid statue completely made out of metal, about twelve feet tall. In each of its shoulders rested a coiled weapon of sorts, the much smaller one in its left. It held a large polearm in its right hand. To the figure's right rested a humongous open casket surrounded by smaller tombstones, gripped possessively by a gargantuan birch and cradled by numerous cobblestone archways. It was quite a spectacle. Behind the kneeling figure were two large bronze doors leading to the bell tower and its accompanying structure.

Jaune approached the figure, finding a rather large piece of cloth attached to the larger coiled weapon. It had a message in archaic writing: _"To prove worthiness as a seeker of Lords, the Unkindled must remove the Greater Coiled Sword from Iudex Gundyr and best him in combat."_ It took him a moment to process what the inscription meant. _"Oh"_ was all he could think. _This "statue" is actually a warrior and judge. Great…_ That put him on edge since he had no idea what to expect from a giant warrior. He knew just by looking at him that he had to fight him, but _beat_ him? Jaune wasn't so sure about this. After weighing the outcomes, Jaune reluctantly removed the coiled sword from its resting place.

At this, the statue named Iudex Gundyr came to life, fully standing with his polearm in hand. Jaune nervously backed up with his eyes closed and sword and shield raised, expecting a thunderous attack; however, instead opened his eyes to see Gundyr waiting to be properly acknowledged. Jaune lowered his guard and waited for Gundyr to make the first move. All he did was give a curt bow to Jaune, which surprised him; this was an honorable test of might between two warriors. Jaune slowly bowed in kind and readied his shield for anything to come. And with that, Gundyr started the duel with a running slash.

Blocking was a bad idea. Jaune learned it the hard way when Gundyr knocked his kite shield to a nearby tombstone, cracking the granite. His shield arm went numb almost immediately. _This is bad, this is really bad!_ He could only dodge Gundyr's swings now. He followed up the attack with an overhead smash with the axe-like blade, of which Jaune barely rolled out of. During his recovery, Jaune looked for some sort of weak spot that his sword could pierce, since his foe seemed to be all-armor. There was little luck, though; his sword didn't even scratch the tough cast-iron. _There's got to be something else here… Ah-hah!_ There was a strange black spot between his shoulder blades, almost pus-like. It appeared to be the only soft spot on Gundyr, so that was his target. It would not be that easy to reach, however.

Jaune had a crazy and stupid but possibly life-saving idea to get him out of this mess. He would have to bait Gundyr into a swing that left him open and chuck one of those urns he found at him as a distraction. He would recover his shield and move onto the final step: parrying that giant polearm to get to Gundyr's back. At that moment, Gundyr launched himself into the air to land a murderous overhead slash where Jaune currently stood; this was his chance. He barely dodged the plunging attack, nearly taking off his right arm. As his opponent tore his weapon out of the ground, Jaune lobbed a fire-pot that nailed him right on his back. The guardian recoiled and writhed in pain as if the fire was an acid that eroded his soul. Jaune took his opportunity, leapt for his shield and secured it back to his arm.

Angered, Gundyr came in with a shoulder tackle that Jaune received in the gut, knocking the wind out of him. Gundyr followed with a grievous punch to his back, sending the poor knight flying straight into another tombstone. Jaune lay sprawled on his back, waiting for Gundyr to hit him once again with an aerial stab. Just as he was about to land the killing blow, Jaune grinned and swatted the blade of the huge metal polearm into the ground next to him, Gundyr crashing to the ground _right_ next to him; he's lucky he wasn't flattened. Jaune took a quick swig from one of his flasks and crawled on the prone Gundyr. A triumphant Jaune knelt on Gundyr's broad back, preparing to plunge his sword with two hands into the black pus, Gundyr's mortal weak spot. He had bested Gundyr not with might, but by wit.

Just as Jaune fell Iudex Gundyr with the thrust of his sword, from the pus sprang a vile, red-eyed serpent that immediately bit Jaune on the right shoulder; its "venom" would have more than just mortal implications. There was no way to dodge it. Jaune recoiled, already feeling the venom coursing through his veins, tainting his soul. He started losing focus, but he saw that the dying Iudex Gundyr moved his right hand to his left shoulder. In conclusion to their duel, he pulled out the smaller coiled sword and handed it out with an open palm: a gesture for Jaune to take it. The huge iron warrior let out a long sigh as his entire being hardened into the statue he once was. At the same time, the Great Bell above sounded off once again, though creating a much lower tone. He merely complied and strapped it onto his back, already finding it hard to stay conscious. He _had_ to make it to his next location.

Jaune trudged his way to a set of tall doors ahead, barely able to push them open enough to slip past. To his right was a decrepit cobblestone path leading towards an entrance of sorts, torch sconces on either side. There was another path to the left towards the bell tower, but he saw multiple Undead shambling between graves. He decided to go the safer route, since now he had difficulty breathing and saw everything with a tinge of dark purple. Jaune haphazardly rushed his way up the steps, tripping a few times from onset vertigo and nausea, occasionally from overgrowing roots. He could feel his flesh burning and sweated heavily from a sudden fever. This was _bad._ As Jaune reached the last step, black blood started to trickle from the side of his mouth. His muscles now screamed with pain, his motor functions starting to lock up. He could only make his legs move forward, nothing more. He finally entered the structure, not stopping until he walked straight off where the walkway discontinued; he fell fifteen feet onto his forehead with a loud clang from his armor, receiving a concussion.

"Finally…made it…" was all he could mutter under his breath as his body yet again began to shut down. His consciousness waning, Jaune could only hear the alarmed voice of a female:

"Ashen One!..."

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 **Alrighty, That's it for the first chapter, hope you enjoyed it! As you are reading this, I am already preparing to churn out chapter two soon, probably in one or two days. Please let me know how I did so far or if there's anything I could improve upon with my particular writing style; this is my very first fic, after all. Since I'm starting school again come the 19th, unfortunately, I won't be able to upload as frequently by then. However, I do hope to continue this and not drop it! I honestly would like to see this through until the very end, and I would like you all to accompany me on the journey there. Hopefully you enjoyed this little "introduction chapter" and let's see where this will take us next time. Nizhonigo nee ado'aal!**


	2. Chapter II: Firelink Shrine

**Ya'at'eeh! Here with another chapter, let's get right into it.**

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She had been waiting. However, she hadn't expected her new guest's abysmal condition upon arrival. After hearing the ominous toll of the bell for the first time as a Fire Keeper, she stood patiently next to the unkindled bonfire in the middle of the shrine. It was dark, save for a few candles lit behind her, not that it mattered to her much.

After hearing a particularly low-sounding toll after a while or so, the Fire Keeper stood up, understanding its meaning; the newly risen Unkindled had slain Iudex Gundyr, the Ashen Judge, and would be here relatively soon. So, she stood up from one of the steps of the shrine, patiently waiting for her new champion to arrive.

That was when she heard the signature _clang_ of metal behind her.

"Finally…made it…"

"Ashen One!" she cried, rushing behind her and finding her champion face-down and perishing. On his back was the Coiled Sword of Firelink Shrine, bequeathed by Iudex Gundyr. She didn't have much time. With much effort, the Fire Keeper dragged the unconscious knight's body to the middle of the shrine, the unlit bonfire on his left side.

There, she pulled out the coiled sword from its strap and began the Rite of Kindling. She planted the sword into the bonfire; its ashes welcoming back their old master, enveloping the blade in a rekindled embrace. As the bonfire breathed itself back to life, its embers catching fire, the Fire Keeper turned the unknown Unkindled on his back, Placing a hand just above his chest. She cleared her mind in concentration.

The Fire Keeper willed the embers of the bonfire to heed her command, assembling above her planted hand. There, the floating particles coalesced into an orb, which soon turned to an emerald hue: her aura's signature color. She raised her palm to allow the orb to float underneath it. To initiate the Rite, she had to swear the Oath of Unity. Unsure, the Fire Keeper took a nervous breath and recited the oath:

" _For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release thy soul, and by my shoulder; protect thee."_

Upon completion, the Fire Keeper pressed her hand into the knight's chest, smothering the verdant orb into his body; the particles injected into his entire being, deep enough to reach the soul. It was there that she sensed what was wrong with her champion. His soul was not an ethereal white; it was eclipsed with the darkness of humanity, poisoned by the sinful Pus of Man.

He must have been attacked by the unholy parasite Iudex Gundyr became host to long ago. She could now feel the presence of two Dark Sigils, holes in the flesh that would worsen the curse of the Darksign vested in chosen Undead, embedded in his right shoulder.

She would have to find a way to heal them later, but as of now, she had a blond knight to basically revive. The Fire Keeper removed her hand from Jaune's chest, knelt by him and pulled the knight's head onto her lap. She remained there, staring at the bonfire in wait for its approval.

The newly lit bonfire sensed the foreign entity, and welcomed it by its embers diffusing from the center, illuminating the spacious shrine like swarms of fireflies. As soon as they reached the very top of the shrine's roof, they started to fall like large snowflakes in a calm winter day. It was quite the spectacle.

The embers of the bonfire floated their way down, eventually gravitating towards the two in the center. There, the individual particles of fire slowly drifted toward the unconscious knight, funneling toward his chest. There, they slowly coagulated into a smoldering stone: an Ember. _Oh good._ The Fire Keeper grew a small grin; the bonfire had chosen him after all.

She needed to have her unconscious guest to crush it in his own hands. So, she reached over to his gloved hand and placed the Ember into his open palm. With both of her hands, she had his fingers enclose the stone, his thumb making an imprint on the smoldering surface. With her left hand on his thumb and her right on his other fingers, she squeezed them together until she heard a cracking noise.

After a few attempts, the stone finally crumbled; the heat and light of the flame within billowed out, forming a cloud of ash and embers entwined. The debris instantly surrounded Jaune and imploded, his body absorbing the remnants of the Ember. With the Ember, the knight would recover to his former state… for now. Now just one last thing.

The Fire Keeper felt the supine knight's pouches for a specific object: an Estus flask. Since this knight is an Undead, he surely has a few. _Aha. Here._ There were some flasks in the pouch on his rear; however, the one she reached for felt wet. A frown met her face; one of the precious flasks were broken. She pulled out the flask from its carrying case, uncapped the thick wooden cork, and prepared to heal Jaune completely… _for now._

The Fire Keeper took her left hand and gently grabbed Jaune's chin, pulling back a little bit to make an opening. While doing so, she could feel his faint breath brush her fingers; This was good news. Keeping one hand on his jaw, the Fire Keeper slowly and steadily poured the flask's contents into Jaune's mouth until it was eventually empty. Thankfully, his body absorbed the liquid instead of filling his mouth, saving him from drowning.

The satisfying sizzle in result of consumption filled the Fire Keeper's ears, warmth emanating from her unconscious guest. That was all she could do for now; she could only wait for the knight to naturally regain consciousness.

...

After what seemed like eons, Jaune eventually came to, although not very pleasantly. His stomach screamed for release, feeling a violent peristalsis coming through. Without even opening his eyes, Jaune sat straight up and started vomiting a wretched, tar-like substance to his right. The filth created a vile hiss as it made contact with stone. It smelled _unholy._ After spitting out the last of it, Jaune wiped his mouth with his leather-gloved right hand. It would definitely leave a stain.

He rubbed the tears in his eyes and remembered where he was and how he got here: _I fought the guardian Iudex Gundyr; a black serpent sprang from his back and bit me. I clambered into a strange building, fell off a ledge and passed out._ He looked around. There obviously was a bonfire just to the left of him judging by the warm flame heating up his body.

Behind the bonfire sat five great thrones, each uniquely decorated. The most magnificent sat at the very top, two others on each side below one another. On the one just to the left of the middle throne sat a small, withered man that had no legs, a crown atop his head; he sat there with both hands under his chin, simply observing Jaune. He had the slightest hint of white hair covered with ash and cinders. The glint in his eyes were that of a learned man. Upon making eye contact, he gave Jaune a small, but gentle grin. How strange.

He then looked over to his right, seeing a long tunnel that had a couple figures minding their own business. One at the very end of the tunnel was a very old, but muscular man hammering away at a sword on an anvil, the sound of iron striking steel barely audible in the distance. Behind him were an array of swords, a couple of polearms, a few candles, and a large shield of some type.

Just to the right at the front of the tunnel sat a hooded figure on an old stone chair. They had their head down, so Jaune couldn't see their face; nonetheless, strands of long, white hair hanged slightly, so he assumed that they were female. The hood was a faded red, obviously having seen better days.

Above the tunnel was the entrance that Jaune had originally came through when he was afflicted. Embarrassingly enough, there were stairs at the sides both leading down and up toward other areas of the building.

That was when he heard an "Ahem" to his back.

When Jaune turned around, he didn't believe what his eyes were seeing. There right behind him knelt a woman with fiery red hair, "looking" nervously at him; she held a hand to her mouth, as if in concern or shock. She had on a nearly skin-tight, black and hooded robe of sorts with reddish-brown, fingerless gloves made from wrapped leather. She wore a bronze pendant with an emerald in the center with a matching collar. Her skin was a pale cream, her hair tied somewhat back in a pony-tail; her bangs were somewhat spared and swept to the side.

The most surprising thing was that she wore a large bronze circlet, hiding her eyes from the world. To Jaune, this was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She appeared to be about his age. After a few moments of taking it all in, the woman moved around and "looked away," as if sensing his mesmerized gaze. She probably wasn't used to such attention. He had to speak quickly since it was _him_ that was making this awkward. He turned to face her.

"Umm, hello. What happened? Where… where am I?" _Smooth, real smooth._ Then again, he hasn't talked to anyone human for a few centuries. Why was she kneeling so close to him? She released the tension in her shoulders, and moved her hand to below her chin, probably thinking of what to say. A second later, "Greetings, Ashen One. Welcome to Firelink Shrine, thy new home. Thou ambled in, falling and passing out. Thou wert afflicted with a bane and I healed thee; I remained at thy side until thou'd awakened. It has been some time since thy arrival; It is now dark out." She spoke in an archaic, but friendly tongue. This made Jaune more curious about her.

"Oh, well thank you very much. Might I ask who you are? My name is Jaune. That's as far as I remember for now." She responded: "I am the Fire Keeper of this shrine, newly appointed since last year." A Fire Keeper? Firelink Shrine? Why do these names sound so familiar? "By the look of it, thou art a knight hailing from ancient Astora, art thou not?" Jaune did not understand how she came to such an observation. "Thou bearest the crested tunic that signifies an elite knight of Astora. And, thou bearest the arms of an Astoran knight as well, the black and gold sheath."

He looked at himself; he was _smoldering._ He could see tiny embers coming from his own arms. He could see his armor coursing with veins of fire. They did not burn him at all. However, the sword that was in his scabbard was not the one meant for it; It was the sword that he picked off of his first enemy. Where did his shield go as well? _I must've left them near Iudex Gundyr. Wait…_ "Uhh, how do you even know what I have on? Aren't you…"

She already knew what he was trying to say. "Vision is not restricted to eyesight alone, Ashen One. As well, I have performed the Oath of Unity, which binds the current Fire Keeper to her champion, chosen to link the First Flame once again; through this, I know thine appearance, and thine whereabouts. T'is more for thy safety and progression, for thou must seek and slay the risen Lords of Cinder in their homes all across this land called Lothric. Thou must return the Lords to their thrones as cinders."

She motioned to the thrones that Jaune saw earlier. With deductive reasoning, Jaune figured that the little man on top of one of the thrones was a former Lord of Cinder. "Only then can thou approach the First Flame and link it for all of humanity and those suffering with its fading."

"Well, why specifically me? What makes me so special that I have this duty?" The Fire Keeper turned to the bonfire, "studying" it. Then, she started: "The First Flame has chosen thee as the one who shall lengthen the Age of the Gods; the Age of Fire. Every champion that arises comes to Firelink Shrine to meet their Fire Keeper and make the perilous journey to link the Flame, as has been custom for millennia. Didst thou not hear the Great Bell upon thine awakening? Didst thou not defeat Iudex Gundyr, the Ashen Judge? Surely, thou art the chosen Unkindled, Champion of Ash."

"Well, what does that all mean? What _is_ an Unkindled?" She now faced him again. "Ashen One, to be Unkindled is to be a vessel for great power. That power is acquired through the consumption of the souls of greater beings in this realm. The Lords of Cinder bear the souls of champions, those strong enough to link the fire by sheer will. Thou wilt find others that seeketh the Lords and the flame as well. However, thou art the one who shall truly seek the flame with no ill intentions."

This was a lot to digest. He was not used to anyone calling him "champion", especially a dame such as the Fire Keeper. On a much more serious note, how was Jaune going to find these "Lords"? He counted four empty thrones, and he wasn't even aware of the realm's current geography. He focused on the thrones. Each was different, probably denoting individual areas to search. He looked at the Fire Keeper again. "Who are these Lords of Cinder that I am to be searching for? Where will I find them?"

Since she knew about them from visitors of the shrine and the little Lord, she told their names to Jaune. "The throne on the very left is affiliated with Aldrich, Saint of the Deep. He is master of the Cathedral of the Deep, somewhere past the Crucifixion Woods. On the far right lies the Throne of great Yhorm, the reclusive giant Lord of the Profaned Capital, somewhere below the land called Irithyll, in the Boreal Valley. To its left is the throne of the Abyss Watchers, Farron's undead legion that combatted the Abyss and its offspring the Grimm, as the named implies. They rest in Farron's Keep.

In the middle is the throne of Prince Lothric, the only living Lord of Cinder. He remains in his chamber at the very top of the mountainous Lothric Castle. Each you must slay and return before it is too late." _Well, that's quite a daunting task._ Jaune let out a slight yawn, still fairly tired. He looked out the entrance of the shrine on his left, seeing nothing but the onyx sky just beyond the torch sconces. He looked around. _Why are there so many unlit candles? Why am I still smoldering? How will I perform such a task ahead of me?_ He was filled with so many questions.

He yawned much louder this time, his eyelids now feeling quite cumbersome. The Fire Keeper picked up on Jaune's tiredness. "Ashen One, thou needest repose; it is night, and you are still afflicted by today's events." She softly patted her knees. "I do not mind, since I must watch over the flame and tend to thee, for thou art my champion; you can begin your journey on the morrow," she gently reassured.

Jaune blushed, realizing what she was hinting at. That word, combined with "my" still got to him. It felt like it would be impolite to do such a thing, but he was quickly falling asleep and she was okay with it, so he couldn't resist. He laid back down, his head resting in the Fire Keeper's lap.

It felt awkward, especially since they just met; however, it felt warm where he was, so he wasn't complaining. Hopefully in the future, he would get to know the Fire Keeper since it sounded like they were stuck together for quite a while. There's been one thing that's been bothering him, though.

"Before I fall asleep, There's one thing that I'd like to know." The Fire Keeper looked down at him, giving a questioning "Hmm?" He looks up to her and asks: "What… is your name? Do you have one...?"

"My name?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, my mother named me Pyrrha."

"What a nice name…."

"Erm, Thank you… Goodnight, Ashen One."

"Goodnight Pyrrha…. And… please, just… call me Jaune…"

He quickly fell asleep, his eyes closing as he stared up at the shrine's domed ceiling. If the circlet wasn't there, he could've seen Pyrrha's slight blush. Tomorrow, he would make his way to Lothric Castle.

* * *

 **Alright, that's it for chapter 2. I'm terribly sorry for taking so long, some stuff happened these past two weeks and I'm starting school relatively soon. I started this chapter about two days ago. God, I feel like an ass, saying that I'd update regularly... I'll try my best next time, when Ol'Jauney Boy travels to Lothric Castle, officially beginning his journey. Thank you so much for the initial support and feedback! Now please, bear with me; I swear I will have another chapter out soon! Now if you'll excuse me, I have two hours of sleep at my disposal until I wake up at 6. Nizhonigo nee ado'aal!**


	3. Thanks a lot mobile!

**Hi. Yes there was a third chapter here just the other day, but something happened with the mobile app and now I have to recover it.** **It'll be a little bit, but if push comes to shove, I can rewrite the chapter verbatim as I have a non-editable copy still.** **I don't want to "retrace" 7k words, but at least it isn't starting over from scratch.**


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